An Assortment of Short Stories
by CarawynO
Summary: A collection of random drabble-like stories, featuring a variety of characters. New chapters will be added as inspiration strikes.
1. Uptown Girl

AN: This story takes place during the fest held in Merethond to celebrate Faramir and Eowyn's wedding.

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April 1, 3020

He watched her dancing with another from a long line of young swains. In his opinion, they were all smooth, but vain and shallow. From his observations, he believed she had the same poor opinion of them, for she always seemed to keep herself slightly aloof, no matter how closely they held her for the dance. Though she smiled politely at them it never reached her eyes, and he found himself amused that one after another they would bow over her hand at the end of the dance with a slightly smug expression that showed they believed she had been charmed by her time with them.

The fools never realized that she had responded to each of her suitors in exactly the same way.

She glanced his way from time to time, and even from across the crowded room he could feel that something sparked between them when her eyes met his.

After an hour or so of watching he drained his tankard of ale and stood. She had had her dances with the bland, white-washed nobles of her own country, and was clearly bored with them. Perhaps the 'barbarian' king of the Mark would be more to her taste.

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Inspired by Billy Joel's song of the same name.


	2. Reunion

April 30, 3019

On the eve of the coronation the rangers of Ithilien gathered in their favorite tavern on the fourth level of the city, reuniting those who had been forced to remain in the Houses of Healing with their friends and comrades who had traveled to the Morannon.

Before long Faramir joined them, and his men quickly noticed that he smiled more than he had even before the darkness, laughed loudly at the smallest of jokes, and that he seemed to be in higher spirits than they had ever seen before. Many curious glances and small shrugs were exchanged behind his back, but he either did not notice or did not care.

When Faramir took his leave, Mablung stared after him for a long moment before remarking to the men who sat around his table, "If I didn't know better I would swear the Captain had fallen in love." Many of the men around him chuckled, for they knew well that for all his love of poetry the captain had rarely pursued romance for himself.

Cenion, a young ranger who had been confined to the houses after the battle of the Pelennor, exclaimed "But he has!"

Mablung and the others who had just returned from Cormallen looked at him incredulously, so Cenion rushed on to tell the story of the Captain and his White Lady, and the kiss on the walls that he had himself witnessed.

By the end Mablung was laughing, "And we'd always thought that Boromir was the lady's man!"


	3. Welcome Home

April 5, 3020

He made a point of carrying her through the archway where the main doors to the hall would one day hang. Even when they were inside the ruins he did not set her down, and he carried her on across the pitted and uneven flagstones that had once formed a polished floor, describing architectural features as he did.

Since her position in his arms gave her easy access to trail kisses along his jaw and neck she found she had no strong objection to being carried, and she gave an occasional hum of agreement to words she had not truly heard.

Before long he stopped and set her carefully on her feet again. She opened her eyes as he did so, and noticed the soft glow of what she assumed was a small campfire behind her.

It was just like him to have arranged for their camp to be set before they arrived, even down to having a fire already lit. She smiled up at him fondly and slid her hands up to his shoulders as she leaned in to kiss him properly.

After a long moment, he broke the kiss and, smiling, put his hands on her shoulders to turn her around.

She gasped.

It was not a camp set up behind them, but a full bed, adorned with white linens and pillows, and sheer white curtains that framed the headboard. The top was uncovered, save by the branches of trees of the forest and the stars above. Small tables on either side were covered with white candles.

The walls were mostly crumbled away, and a few trees grew inside the boundaries they outlined, but it was clear this was once a large and grand room.

His arms encircled her from behind, and drew her back against him as he breathed in her ear "What think you of your chamber, my lady wife?"

She gave a small laugh "I like it very well indeed, my lord." Turning again, she reached up to cup his cheek with her hand. "But I love you for thinking of this, my husband." Her smile grew into a grin. "I had been somewhat disappointed to think of a night spent in bedrolls…"

He laughed softly and leaned down to kiss her again. "Would I be such a fool as to waste even one night of our honeymoon in such a way?" He pulled her into a warm embrace as her arms moved to loop loosely about his neck, and he kissed her again, warmly, tenderly.

"Welcome home, Éowyn."


	4. Inheritance

Éowyn watched her brother as he danced with Lothiriel, and an amused smile curved her lips. The smile turned warm when her new husband took her hand, and she looked over at him. She laughed when he merely lifted a brow in a silent question.

"I have often heard that my brother and I inherited much of our father's temperament, and his skill with a sword." With a tilt of her head she indicated her brother and his cousin as they moved through the dance and grinned. "It would appear we have also both inherited his preference for dark hair.


	5. Chivalry

It was far bigger than Théodwyn had expected, and it made her come to a stop, her eyes darting up to Éomund's with some trepidation.

Feeling her hand tug against his when she stopped, he turned his head to give her a smile. "Is everything alright, my love?"

With an embarrassed smile she replied. "I simply was not prepared for this." She looked away, down at the ground. "I am afraid I was foolish."

When she did not continue he asked softly. "Have you changed your mind then?"

A furrow appeared on her brow as she looked up at him. "Why would I have changed my mind?"

His brow creased as well, "If you do not wish to…"

Her head tilted a little to one side. "Of course I wish to! I did suggest it, after all."

Brow creasing still further he asked "Then why did you stop?"

She turned her head a little, and looked first at the ground to her side and then back up at him with brows lifted.

"I do not understand, Théodwyn."

A small sound of frustration escaped her lips before her expression suddenly cleared, and she looked back at him with a smile. "Truly, I am a fool. Forgive me, love."

With a small laugh she lifted the hem of her skirt just enough to show her soft slippers, and his expression turned into a grin as he finally understood. "Surely you expected there to be puddles after the storms last night?"

She lifted a shoulder, but a hint of color came to her cheeks. "Of course I did. But I did not expect any that would be so large I could not avoid them in some way."

Glancing at the puddle again, he noted that it did indeed stretch across almost the full width of the street, and the mud about it came very near the walls to the houses on either side. He had known his feet would remain dry in his boots, and so had not truly noted its size before.

He chuckled as he returned his attention to her. "Shall I carry you across then, my lady?"

The color in her cheeks deepened even as her smile widened. "I would be in your debt, my lord."

Slowly, he moved to stand in front of her, returning her grin with a roguish one of his own. "Well… I am sure we could find some way for you to repay it."

As he spoke, he placed his hands on either side of her waist, and her breath grew shallow as she looked up at him. She was still not used to having him so near, especially not with such an expression on his face. And to have his hands on her this way... That was completely new.

She saw a gleam of mischief come into his eyes as he lifted her from the ground, and her fingers instinctively tightened on his shoulders.

When he moved her as if he was going to throw her across his shoulder as he would a sack of grain she gave a small shriek. "Éomund!" Her fingers tightened still more, "Do not dare….!"

As he set her back down on the ground again he began to chuckle softly, but it quickly grew into the booming laughter that she loved so well. "Ah, Théodwyn, the look on your face…"

With her hands on her hips, she shook her head at him, though she could not prevent her smile. "For Vana's sake, Éomund."

Still chuckling, he swept her off her feet, cradling her easily against his chest. Instinctively, she put her arm across his shoulders for balance, giving a breathless little laugh as she blushed yet again.

Once she was settled he turned and slowly walked across the puddle once more, making sure that they were well clear of any mud before coming to a stop. As he slowly, carefully, set her on the ground again his eyes met hers, and all the sounds around them faded away as the world contracted to contain only the two of them.

Her hands lingered on his shoulder, and his stayed on her arm as they looked at one another.

She had just started to lean into him, standing on her toes, when Bernulf hailed them, making her stop short and bringing the reality of where they were come crashing back.

With a small smile, tinged with both longing and regret, she stepped back, allowing her hand to drop to her side. He reached out to take that hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers again as he returned the smile.

Together, they turned to join their friends in the bustling marketplace.

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AN: Many thanks to the ladies of the Garden for their feedback and suggestions on this one!


	6. Introduction

When he was allowed to enter the room Faramir looked nearly as pale and exhausted as his wife. He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her brow softly before speaking. "I will never touch you again. I swear it..."

She laughed softly, and lifted her free hand to press it to his cheek. "Yes you will." She kissed him lightly, then smiled and whispered for his ears only, "I will insist."

He gave a soft laugh of his own, and smiled weakly.

Éowyn's smile grew, and it was full of pride. "Now, my love, meet your daughter."


	7. Next Morning

Lothiriel woke disoriented, but the memories of why she was in an unfamiliar room, and an unfamiliar bed, came back to her quickly. She smiled slowly, and snuggled closer to the warm body pressed to hers, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. Strong arms tightened about her, pulling her still closer, and a kiss was pressed into her hair. With a sigh of contentment she tilted her head back to ask for, and receive, a more proper kiss. "Good morning." She opened her eyes to look up at him, smiling warmly even as she blushed, and kissed him again. "Husband."


	8. For the Longest Time

Loosely inspired by the song of this same title. Billy Joel seem to be a bit of muse me... lol

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Twenty four hours later Faramir was still smiling.

He met with the lords of the council, and saw their curious glances, but he cared not.

He found himself humming as he walked down the hallways of the Citadel, but the amused looks the servants exchanged after he passed did not bother him.

His footsteps light, he passed through the tunnel from the seventh circle and approached the Houses of Healing. When he entered the gardens and saw the joy that came into her eyes when she looked at him, the radiance of her smile, the rest of the world disappeared.


End file.
